The sudden collapse of Assad’s dictatorship gives a glimmer of hope for Syrians overseas, however the plight of their crippled nation signifies that going house received’t be a simple choice. Many have turn out to be built-in of their new properties, or could worry that combating will flare up among the many completely different insurgent teams, presenting a selected risk to minorities. Some haven’t any properties to return to.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the state of affairs in Syria stays “one of many largest displacement crises on the earth.” The company estimated there have been some 6.4 million Syrian refugees worldwide in 2023, 5.1 million of whom lived in neighboring nations — Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.
Another 7.2 million folks left their properties however remained within the nation.
While Assad’s ouster may sign a brand new period for Syria, it’s going to take quite a lot of time — and cash — to rebuild the nation. If the refugees ultimately select to return — or if their host nations resolve to revoke their worldwide protected standing — they may discover extra rubble than alternatives.
Thirteen years of civil strife — and final yr’s sturdy earthquakes — have dramatically impoverished Syria, whose gross home product shrank by 87 p.c between 2011 and 2021.
Earlier this yr, Najat Rochdi, deputy particular envoy of the U.N. Secretary General for Syria, warned that “Syria is in peril of being forgotten,” and sounded an alarm concerning the deteriorating humanitarian state of affairs on the bottom.
